On Valentine’s Day, it would do us well to consider the great contribution that women are to their husbands and to the church. Sometimes we men are so focused on proclaiming and defending the “submission” texts that we lose our focus on the great contribution women make to our lives as they carry out their function in the body of Christ. The reason why some women seek a more assertive, leadership role in the church is because our culture tells us this is where real importance and significance can be found. Let’s challenge that kind of thinking by looking at the contribution of women from a different perspective, as set forth in 1 Corinthians 12:
13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot says, “Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,” it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. 19 If they were all one member, where would the body be? 20 But now there are many members, but one body. 21 And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; or again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; 23 and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, 24 whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, 25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. 27 Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it (1 Corinthians 12:13-27, NAU).
In this chapter (and the next two chapters as well) Paul is speaking about spiritual gifts. Everyone has at least one gift, he tells us, and these are sovereignly granted (verse 18). The Spirit bestows and impowers these gifts. The Lord assigns the venue in which these gifts are exercised. The Father assigns the outcome (the effectiveness or results) of the exercise of each gift (1 Corinthians 12:4-6).
The problem at Corinth was that some gifts were assumed to give one more status than others. Specifically (as we see in chapter 14), the gift of tongues was regarded as superior to the gift of prophecy. Today, the tension (or competition) is not between “tongues” and “prophecy,” I believe it is between gifts that are exercised publicly, and those which are not. The one whose gift is very public and prominent is esteemed more highly than one whose gift is not as visible, and thus we expect to see that role sought more than another.
It is no wonder that one’s fleshly desire would be to possess the “greater” gift, and thus the Corinthians were tripping over one another to practice what at least appeared to be the gift of tongues, creating chaos in the church meeting (chapter 14). And while some were clamoring for the gift of tongues, there were others who knew this was not their gift, and they concluded that they were insignificant and unimportant members of the body of Christ. Paul clearly brushes this aside as wrong thinking, but then he goes even farther, to challenge the underlying premise upon which the distorted estimation of gifts and their importance is based. Beginning at verse 22, Paul turns the value system of the Corinthians upside-down. Let’s look more carefully at verses 22-25:
22 On the contrary, it is much truer that the members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary; 23 and those members of the body which we deem less honorable, on these we bestow more abundant honor, and our less presentable members become much more presentable, 24 whereas our more presentable members have no need of it. But God has so composed the body, giving more abundant honor to that member which lacked, 25 so that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another (1 Corinthians 12:22-25, NAU).
Paul points out that we have a tendency to compensate for things we deem insignificant. Thus, we paint our toenails, so that they look better and are more visible. To put it in different, bodily terms, our external (visible) members, such as eyes, ears, nose, and tongues are not as important as our invisible members (heart, lungs, and kidneys). Paul’s conclusion: It is the unseen members of the body that may have the more important contribution to the body and not the visible members. What if the apparent success of the preacher (for example) is God’s response to the unseen prayers of godly widows or other women in the church who persistently and fervently pray for the growth of the body?
The Corinthian malady has its own manifestation in the church today, and while there are many ways to demonstrate this, let’s focus on the ministry of women in the church. Why is it that some women today – some Christian women – seem to think that their ministry will only be important if it is the same kind of visible ministry that men carry out? Is it possible that the root of this error is to be found in the mistaken value system which was evident in Corinth, and which can be seen in the church today as well? Is there the mistaken view that public, visible, verbal ministry is more significant than less visible ministries? It might be good to see how Paul valued the ministry of Epaphroditus, as well as that of Timothy in Philippians 2:19-30. Is it possible that in grasping for visible, prominent ministries, one might be choosing the “lesser” good?
As we celebrate Valentines Day (or not), let us celebrate the awesome ministry that is less visible, but vitally essential to the health and ministry of the church.
One last thought. Is it possible that in the rush of the activities which public, visible, ministry demands that our devotion to Christ and our intimate fellowship with Him suffers? Think about it; who enjoyed most deeply the personal fellowship and devotion to our Lord – the disciples (who fled), or the women who were there at the tomb and the first to see Jesus? Were the devout women in Jesus’ day second-class citizens of heaven? Who do we regard as more blessed, the disciples who were there as Martha was rattling the dishes in the kitchen, or Mary, who sat, quietly (and without much notice) at the feet of Jesus?
Thank God for the women in our lives, and the powerful ministry God has given to them, even though (or perhaps because) it is unseen. And, of course, this same truth applies to the men in the body of Christ whose ministry is unseen as well.